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I am looking for a prospect. I found two 2 year olds near me for a very low price. However their videos are them as a
yearlings. I dont have any experience of judging yearlings. What can I expect to change as they grow up? They are about 5 hrs away otherwise I would just go and see them but I don't want to waste my time. What do you think of these guys as low level eventers? I want decent gaits because my last horse was a great jumper but was a very plain mover.

I like number one. That being said, you really never know about yearlings. I do believe that they may have some footage of them a bit older, spliced into the videos, which helped with my choice.

The reason that I like number one better is that he went through the grid several times, without prompting. In the beginning, the second horse avoided the grid. I like a horse who chooses jumping for his job. I believe that the first horse is more free through his shoulder, too.

Thank you!!!! I didn't really like his jump as much (the dark bay) as I thought he was throwing his front end over the fences and his legs got a little under him but also he is a yearling and that is a tiny fence. but I figure he is big enough and nice enough mover that he should be capable of jumping a little bigger!

It's difficult to assess at that age. I did notice both appear to have quite upright shoulders. The first one appeared to be better mover but difficult to assess the secoind as he was boinging around with tail up/tight back.

Both of these colts are a year older; if they are that far away I think it would be appropriate to ask for an updated video. When you do that, ask them to do away with the slo mo. To me, that is useless in a video when you are trying to evaluate horses.

I like the lighter bay colt better; he seems to have a longer stride and show a little more reach over the little fence. The darker bay is more attractive, but he may end up being heavier than you want for an event horse.

Agree with Clint, I prefer the movement of the second horse; he has more reach through the shoulder and appears more uphill in his balance (though this can change in a yearling, of course ), though he is definitely thicker through the neck and throatlatch. Hard to assess the form of the first horse over such a tiny fence, but he is willing and looks okay (appears to do a lot of x-cantering though.) He stands over more ground, conformationally--which is generally more suitable for an event horse.

Horse #2 is a bit casual and drapey WRT his form over the small jump, which could mean anything (he will be "casual and drapey" when the jumps are bigger?? He is casual because he has lots of scope, and this jump is "nothing" to him? Impossible to predict.)

I agree, get some more recent video! They are both nice. What about their bloodlines? Any TB in there? (Not necessary in a lower level prospect, but helpful to have some anyway.) Did their parents have a competitive career? If so, in what discipline? Any video of the parents in action? This would tell you more about how they are likely to be at maturity.

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

"It's supposed to be hard...the hard is what makes it great!" (Jimmy Dugan, "A League of Their Own")